THE PEARL OF THE PACIFIC
There, at the front of the oyster, and slightly to one side, was the
most marvelous pearl upon which the eyes of the men had ever rested.
It was the size of an ordinary hen's egg, clear and pure, and worth a
sum of money which neither of the astounded men dared attempt to
guess.
For a few seconds they were speechless, and then Inez clapped her
hands with delight, and asked:
"Is that for me?"
"Yes, that is yours," replied Captain Bergen. "The mate and I give it
to you, to be yours and no one's else."
"Isn't it splendid?" cried Inez, catching it up, passing it from one
hand to the other, holding it up in the sunlight, and showing as much
genuine pleasure as if she were a veritable South Sea Islander,
presented with some new trinket.
"That," said Mate Storms, "may be called The Pearl of the Pacific!"
"No," objected the captain, "it is she who is the pearl of this great
ocean, for it was upon its surface that we first saw her, and she has
proved herself far above the worth of pearls or diamonds or rubies. To
her, under heaven, my life, and not impossibly yours, is owing. The
greatest pleasure of this voyage has come from her companionship, and
all that I ask now is that we shall be able to preserve this wealth
for her, and that the opportunity may be ours to do our full duty
toward her."
Mate Storms looked admiringly at the captain, who had so eloquently
expressed his own sentiments.
"You are right, Jack," said he, speaking in his familiar way. "It is
she who is the Pearl of the Pacific!"
The men surveyed, with the greatest pleasure, the frolicsome delight
of the little one, who was all unmindful of the immense treasure which
had fallen to her lot, and of the title of honor which her friends had
given her. Naturally, the entire party were so absorbed that for a
time they hardly glanced beyond their immediate surroundings; but when
Abe Storms came up for the last time, he glanced, by the merest
accident, out to sea, and exclaimed:
"Oh, my goodness! Just look there, Jack!"
No more than half a mile distant, a flying proa was seen, speeding
with great swiftness over the water, while a number of dark figures
were discovered on the deck, evidently looking with no little
curiosity at the white men.
The singular craft, however, came no nearer, and soon vanished in the
distance. Its appearance caused some apprehension and uneasiness on
the part of our friends, and after discussing the matter they decided,
as a matter of precaution, to bury the pearls.
Inez was persuaded, without difficulty, to trust hers to the keeping
of her friends, who dug a small well in the sand, and inclosing the
entire number of pearls in strong canvas bags, made for that purpose,
buried them out of sight, there to remain until one or both of the men
should choose to dig them up again, and it was agreed that that should
not be done until the way opened for them to leave the island.
The long afternoon was well advanced when this task was completed,
they fixing the precise spot so clearly in their minds that there was
no necessity of landmarks, either being sure of finding it whenever it
should become necessary.
"It seems to me the swells are larger than usual, and they make more
noise when they break upon the beach," observed Mr. Storms, looking
curiously at the sky.
They had just dumped back the remains of the pearl-oysters into the
sea, so as to leave no trace of their work, and Captain Bergen
straightened up and surveyed the sky.
"There's a storm coming--a regular screamer! Look, by the great horn
spoon!" he added, in no little excitement.
There was good cause for the emotion of the captain, for the light of
the sun was obscured by a thick, yellow haze, which was fast
overspreading the sky, and, far out to sea, the long line of mist
seemed to be churning the water into foam, and to be advancing rapidly
toward the island, where stood the two men contemplating the coming
fury of the elements.
The light of the sun was obscured, and there was a perceptible
chilliness in the air, and the barometer--which they had brought from
the _Coral_--showed a most startling change. One of the fiercest of
the tropical tempests was gathering, and was sure to break upon the
island in a few minutes.
This was alarming to contemplate, for the men knew well what kind of
elemental disturbances spring up on the shortest notice in the South
Seas. But it was not this alone which startled them.
Looking directly out to sea, toward the yeasty waters, they saw a
schooner sinking and rising upon the long swells, and certain to be
caught, in the very vortex, as may be said, of the hurricane, or
tornado, or typhoon, or whatever it should be termed. The craft was
not an unfamiliar one--both knew it well--for it was the _Coral_, with
the mutineers on board.
Unarmed as they were, they would not dare place themselves in the
power of those toward whom they had shown such enmity, but that they
were literally forced to do so to escape almost certain destruction
from the impending tempest.
If they should run into the lagoon to wait until the storm should
subside, neither the captain nor mate would disturb them--provided
they took their departure as soon as it became safe. Still, knowing
their treacherous character so well, Bergen and Storms did not mean to
trust them at all. Inez was therefore placed within the cabin, while
her protectors made certain they were armed and ready for any
contingency.
Now that the sun was shut out from sight, a darkness like that of
night overspread land and water, while the strong gale howled among
the palms, which swayed and bent as if they would soon be uprooted and
flung out into the boiling sea. The swells were topped with foam, and
large drops of rain, sweeping almost horizontally across the island,
struck against the face like pebbles.
The mutineers were heading, so far as was possible, towards the
opening in the atoll, but they were not in position to strike it, and,
with the deepening darkness and increasing tempest, the task was
becoming more difficult every minute. Suddenly a vivid flash of
lightning illumined the gloom, and the schooner _Coral_ was observed
on the crest of a high wave, heading toward the island; but the two
men who saw her, saw also, that she missed the opening and was too
close in to make it.
The rumble of thunder continued for some minutes, when once more a
blinding flash swept across the murky sky, lighting up sea and island
for the instant, as if with the glare of the noonday sun. Captain
Bergen and Mate Storms were straining their eyes to catch sight of the
little schooner and its crew, but it was invisible. In that single
searching glance, they could not have failed to see her had she been
afloat. The conclusion, therefore, was inevitable. She and her crew
had gone to the bottom of the sea.
Such was the fact. The mutineers had met a frightful though merited
fate, and could trouble our friends no more.